Benefits of Electronic Health Records (EHR)

Benefits of Electronic Health Records (EHR)

Technology has become crucial in today’s quickly changing healthcare environment for enhancing patient care, cutting costs, and increasing efficiency. Adopting electronic health records (EHRs) is a revolutionary technology that represents a significant advance since it provides a comprehensive digital platform for managing patient data. This paper explores the many facets of EHRs, including their role in problem-solving and decision-making, as well as their adoption’s financial and health benefits. It also evaluates the estimated costs of implementation and long-term management. Notably, this investigation provides a thorough knowledge of the revolutionary potential of EHRs in influencing the future of healthcare delivery.

Financial and Health Benefits of Implementing EHRs

Integrating an electronic health record (EHR) system into the Integrated Ambulatory Care Center (IACC) has considerable cost and clinical advantages. EHRs minimize costs financially by streamlining administrative processes, cutting paperwork, and improving billing accuracy (Narikimilli et al., 2020). Improved data exchange and retrieval efficiency encourage more effective resource use. In terms of health, EHRs improve patient care by giving healthcare professionals easy access to a thorough patient history that helps them make wise decisions. Also, EHR interoperability promotes smooth specialist contact, resulting in coordinated care, less unnecessary testing, and improved outcomes.

Estimated Cost of Implementing and Managing EHRs

Depending on the size of the healthcare facility, the complexity of the system, and the level of customization required, the initial implementation cost of an EHR system can vary dramatically. The initial implementation cost for a mid-sized ambulatory care facility like the IACC may range from a few hundred thousand to a few million dollars. This includes costs for staff training, hardware infrastructure, software licensing, data migration, and system customization to meet the needs of the IACC. Over the long run, the ongoing management and maintenance of the EHR, including software updates, security measures, technical support, and staff salaries for IT personnel, can contribute to a substantial recurring cost, often estimated at around 15-20% of the initial implementation cost per year. However, these investments can lead to significant operational efficiencies, improved patient care, and long-term cost savings, making the management cost a worthwhile expenditure for the IACC to ensure its continued success and effective healthcare delivery.

Security Concerns Surrounding HIT and EHRs

EHRs and HIT (health information technology) are currently the subject of security concerns due to patient data being susceptible to cyberattacks, unauthorized access, and data breaches. The potential of hostile actors attacking EHR systems to steal patient records or launch ransomware attacks has increased as the healthcare sector increasingly relies on digital platforms to store sensitive medical information (Singh & Madaan, 2022). Healthcare organizations must invest in solid cybersecurity measures, such as encryption, multi-factor authentication, regular system audits, and employee training, to prevent security breaches that could jeopardize patient confidentiality, disrupt healthcare operations, and erode public confidence in the healthcare system. Ensuring the privacy and integrity of patient data is essential.

The Application of EHRs in Decision-Making and Problem-Solving

EHRs support well-informed choices and efficient problem-solving in the healthcare industry. EHRs enable healthcare professionals to examine a patient’s medical history, prescriptions, lab results, and treatment plans, facilitating accurate diagnoses and individualized care (Jha, 2023). This is done by giving them complete and real-time access to patient data. EHRs also help improve care coordination between professionals, facilitating group problem-solving for challenging cases. Clinical results and patient safety can be improved using data analytics and clinical decision support technologies integrated into EHRs to spot trends, warn about possible drug interactions, and recommend evidence-based treatment alternatives. Moreover, EHRs contribute to quality improvement initiatives by tracking and analyzing performance metrics, patient outcomes, and population health data, enabling healthcare organizations to identify areas for enhancement, optimize resource allocation, and implement proactive measures.

Federal Legislation

A landmark piece of federal legislation, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, has a significant impact on the use of EHRs and HIT by establishing extensive privacy and security regulations for protected health information (PHI). HIPAA mandates that covered entities, such as healthcare providers, health plans, and clearinghouses, maintain administrative, technical, and physical protections to protect patient privacy, limit unauthorized access, and secure PHI (McConomy & Leber, 2022). Additionally, it requires hiring a privacy officer, creating privacy policies and procedures, employee training, and signing business associate agreements with outside parties handling PHI. Additionally, HIPAA introduced the Privacy Rule, which grants patients control over their health information, and the Security Rule, which sets standards for electronic PHI security. The legislation emphasizes the need for secure data transmission, access controls, and regular risk assessments.

Conclusion

In conclusion, using EHRs has become a game-changing force in contemporary healthcare, providing various financial and physical advantages. Even while the initial investment in EHR systems may be substantial, the long-term benefits far surpass the expenditures; just a few of the results include simpler operations, more excellent patient care, and better resource allocation. Additionally, incorporating EHRs provides healthcare professionals with complete patient data, empowering them to make wise decisions and solve problems promptly, thereby improving patient outcomes and community health. However, strict adherence to federal laws like HIPAA is essential to protect patient privacy and data integrity, and it is important to understand the significant security risks around health information technology and electronic health records.

References

Jha, Y. K. (2023). Development of a centralized electronic medical record system – in HealthCare & Governance. Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4477097

McConomy, B. C., & Leber, D. E. (2022). Cybersecurity in healthcare. Clinical Informatics Study Guide, 241–253. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-93765-2_17

Narikimilli, N. R. S., Kumar, A., Antu, A. D., & Xie, B. (2020). Blockchain applications in healthcare – A review and future perspective. Blockchain – ICBC 2020, 198–218. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59638-5_14

Singh, A., & Madaan, G. (2022). BTCG4. Blockchain Technology in Electronic Healthcare Systems, 29–55. https://doi.org/10.1002/

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Description
The use of health information technology (HIT) has increased dramatically over the past decade, resulting in the federal government enacting several pieces of legislation such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009. Continuing to build on your proposal for a healthcare facility from Weeks 1 and 2, you are assigned to research and discuss the following:

Discuss the financial and health benefits that can be realized by implementing an electronic health record (EHR).
Research and explain the estimated cost of implementing an EHR and the estimated cost of managing an EHR over the long run.
Discuss current security concerns surrounding HIT and the EHR.
Discuss how electronic health records can be used for decision-making and problem-solving.
Choose 1 piece of federal legislation (e.g., HIPAA, HITECH Act, Meaningful Use), and discuss the requirements that legislation imposes on the use of HIT and the EHR.
Note: You must use at least 3 scholarly references.

Please submit your assignment.

For assistance with your assignment, please use your textbook and all course resources.